Smith issues apology to the Commons

Former home secretary Jacqui Smith has apologised to the House of Commons after a watchdog found that she had "clearly" breached rules on second home expenses.

But the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee said no further action should be taken on the Redditch MP's claims for expenses for cable-TV films - including blue movies watched by her husband.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg was asked to pay back £910 in parliamentary expenses for gardening costs at his second home.

A spokeswoman for Mr Clegg said he will comply with the request from Sir Thomas Legg, who is carrying out an audit of all MPs' expenses for the past five years.

Sir Thomas wrote to all MPs and former MPs who have made claims since 2004, setting out any concerns he might have about their allowances and asking them to justify any claims which he finds questionable.

MPs are being given three weeks to provide justification for the money they received.

Reports that Sir Thomas may require them to repay sums which were permissible under the rules in action at the time have led to suggestions that some MPs could refuse to comply.

Veteran Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell, who sits on the ruling Commons Members Estimate Committee (MEC), said: "The MPs will have in their breast pocket a letter from Sir Thomas dated the 2nd of July saying that his review will be carried out in accordance with the rules at the time and the standards that applied at the time over the past five years."

He added: "I think many MPs, if they read the newspapers, may feel (Sir Thomas) is not staying within that remit, he's not respecting the decisions that were made by the fees office in accordance with the rules at the time."

Commons Speaker John Bercow, who chairs the MEC, also wrote to MPs urging them to "cooperate fully" with the Legg inquiry.